The Woolsey and Hill wildfires in Ventura and Los Angeles counties have prompted the evacuation of synagogue families and Jewish institutions in Calabasas, Malibu and Thousand Oaks.
Among those evacuated were 175 families of Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue (MJCS) families, Steven Weinberg, president of MJCS, said while undergoing a mandatory evacuation on Friday morning with his wife, Dana.
Speaking from his vehicle by phone as he sat in southbound traffic on Pacific Coast Highway, Weinberg said the synagogue’s Rabbi Michael Schwartz had relocated the community’s three Torah scrolls to Kehillat Israel in Pacific Palisades.
Kehillat Israel has offered itself as shelter to evacuating families, Weinberg said.
He said he saw plumes of smoke rising and ashes raining over Zuma Beach, along with firetrucks and water-dropping aircraft headed to battle the flames.
“There’s no way to describe it,” Weinberg said. “We don’t know and nobody does know [what will happen. We’re] getting conflicting reports on the news about the extent of the fire and best way to evacuate. Seems like the majority of folks are heading down to Santa Monica.
“North of Zuma [Beach] it is raining ashes,” he added. “We see a lot of firetrucks passing by — there are five fires raging all over the place, (and) a limited amount of help. There are some planes flying in, but these winds aren’t helping and the temperature keeps getting warmer and the humidity is dropping. It’s pretty scary.”
He said he received an alert from the city of Malibu at 7 a.m. and had already begun to prepare for evacuation the night before. He and his wife packed their valuables from their home and from the law office Weinberg, an attorney, works out of in a duplex next door. Then they hit the road. They initially headed north but as it got too smoky, they turned around and headed south toward Santa Monica.
He said fortunately, MCJS was 10 miles south of the fires, and was presently safe from any damage. However, he worried about what the fire meant for planned programming over the weekend, including a bar mitzvah scheduled for Saturday.
“I feel bad. A wonderful family is having a bar mitzvah tomorrow for one of their sons, Chase. I’m hoping that can still go on. That would be very sad” if it had to be postponed, he said.
Also affected was the Shalom Institute, which operates summer camps and community-wide celebrations at its Malibu property. The organization evacuated its staff, animals and Torah scrolls to a “safe location,” a statement said.
“The fire line is not near us at this time, and we will closely monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by the fires and we want to express our deep appreciation for the firefighters working to battle this blaze, our first responders and disaster relief organizations serving the community. Please, use an abundance of caution and stay safe.”
Cantor David Shukiar of Temple Adat Elohim in Thousand Oaks posted on Facebook that his synagogue’s campus was not damaged by the fire.
“We have confirmation that the structure of our synagogue is still standing and in great shape,” he wrote.
Temple Aliyah in Woodland Hills closed, cancelling its Friday and Saturday services.
Authorities said the fires were being fueled by dry conditions and extreme winds. The fires broke out the night of Nov. 8 and experienced rapid overnight growth.
Congregations that have offer assistance to those affected by the fires include Sinai Temple in Westwood and Beth Shir Shalom in Santa Monica.
